Continuous operation of a camera

ABSTRACT

A monitoring system includes a camera that includes a removable primary power source and a secondary power source. The camera is configured to detect removal of the primary power source. The camera is configured to draw power from the secondary power source and generate a primary power source removal notification indicating that the primary power source has been removed from the camera. The monitoring system includes a monitor control unit that is configured to receive the primary power source removal notification. The monitor control unit is configured to determine whether a primary power source removal request was received within a period of time before receipt of the primary power source removal notification, the primary power source removal request indicating that the primary power source will be removed within the period of time. The monitor control unit is configured to perform a monitoring system action.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to monitoring technology.

BACKGROUND

Security and surveillance systems have been utilized for years for bothresidential and commercial properties. Such systems may utilize acentral monitoring system to detect when an alleged intrusion hasoccurred. For instance, the central monitoring system may be alertedwhen a surveillance camera that has been mounted at a particular portionof the property goes offline or is tampered in anyway.

Battery-powered surveillance cameras are gaining popularity for settingup monitoring capability without installing additional wiring. Dependingon various factors such as battery type, camera type, and usagefrequency, batteries of such cameras may need to be replaced in a timeframe ranging from weeks to months.

SUMMARY

Techniques are described for enhancing serviceability and operationalavailability of cameras that are part of a monitoring system. In someimplementations, a secondary power source is provided inside the camerato enable replacement of a main battery of the camera while remainingconnected to the monitoring system. In some implementations, the cameraenters a low power mode when operating from the secondary power source.In the same, or other implementations, in response to loss of power fromthe main battery, the camera transmits diagnostic information to themonitoring system before entering the low power mode.

Implementations of the described techniques may include hardware, amethod or process implemented at least partially in hardware, or acomputer-readable storage medium encoded with executable instructionsthat, when executed by a processor, perform operations.

The details of one or more implementations are set forth in theaccompanying description below. Other features will be apparent from thedescription and the drawings.

According to an innovative aspect of the subject matter described inthis application, a monitoring system is configured to monitor aproperty. The monitoring system includes a camera that includes aremovable primary power source and a secondary power source and that isconfigured to: detect removal of the primary power source; and inresponse to detecting removal of the primary power source: draw powerfrom the secondary power source; and generate a primary power sourceremoval notification indicating that the primary power source has beenremoved from the camera; and a monitor control unit that is configuredto: receive the primary power source removal notification; determinewhether a primary power source removal request was received within aperiod of time before receipt of the primary power source removalnotification, the primary power source removal request indicating thatthe primary power source will be removed within the period of time; andin response to determining whether the primary power source removalnotification was received within the period of time before receiving theprimary power source removal request, perform a monitoring systemaction.

These and other implementations can each optionally include one or moreof the following features. The monitor control unit is configured to:determine whether the primary power source removal request was receivedwithin a period of time before receipt of the primary power sourceremoval notification by determining that the primary power sourceremoval request was received within the period of time before receipt ofthe primary power source removal notification; and perform themonitoring system action by providing, to the camera, an instruction toenter a low power mode in response to determining that the primary powersource removal request was received within the period of time beforereceipt of the primary power source removal notification. The camera isconfigured to: receive the instruction to enter the low power mode; inresponse to receiving the instruction to enter the low power mode, enterthe low power mode; detect replacement of the primary power source; andin response to detecting replacement of the primary power source,generate a primary power source replacement notification indicating thatthe primary power source of the camera has been replaced. The monitorcontrol unit is configured to: receive the primary power sourcereplacement notification; and in response to receiving the primary powersource replacement notification, provide, to the camera, an instructionto exit the low power mode.

The camera is configured to enter the low power mode by: maintaining anetwork connection with the monitor control unit, reducing a frame ratefor capturing video data, reducing a resolution for capturing the videodata or image data, and storing the video data or the image datalocally. The monitor control unit is configured to: determine an elapsedtime between receiving the primary power source removal notification andreceiving the primary power source replacement notification; determinewhether the elapsed time satisfies a threshold replacement period oftime; and provide, to the camera, the instruction to exit the low powermode based on determining that the elapsed time satisfies the thresholdreplacement period of time. The monitor control unit is configured to:determine whether the primary power source removal request was receivedwithin a period of time before receipt of the primary power sourceremoval notification by determining that the primary power sourceremoval request was received within the period of time before receipt ofthe primary power source removal notification; and perform themonitoring system action by providing, to the camera, an instruction toenter a low power mode in response to determining that the primary powersource removal request was received within the period of time beforereceipt of the primary power source removal notification.

The camera is configured to receive the instruction to enter the lowpower mode; and in response to receiving the instruction to enter thelow power mode, enter the low power mode. The monitor control unit isconfigured to: determine an elapsed time since providing the instructionto enter the low power mode; determine that the elapsed time sinceproviding the instruction to enter the low power mode does not satisfy athreshold replacement period of time; and in response to determiningthat the elapsed time since providing the instruction to enter the lowpower mode does not satisfy the threshold replacement period of time,provide, for output, a notification indicating to replace the primarypower source. The monitor control unit is configured to: determinewhether the primary power source removal request was received within aperiod of time before receipt of the primary power source removalnotification by determining that the primary power source removalrequest was received within the period of time before receipt of theprimary power source removal notification; determine that the monitoringsystem is unarmed; and perform the monitoring system action byproviding, to the camera, an instruction to enter a low power mode basedon determining that the monitoring system is unarmed and based ondetermining that the primary power source removal request was receivedwithin the period of time.

The monitor control unit is configured to: determine that the monitoringsystem is in armed away mode; and perform the monitoring system actionby generating an alarm based on determining that the monitoring systemis in armed away mode. The monitor control unit is configured to:determine whether the primary power source removal request was receivedwithin a period of time by determining that the primary power sourceremoval request was not received within the period of time; and performthe monitoring system action by generating an alarm based on determiningthat the primary power source removal request was not received withinthe period of time. The monitoring system includes an additional camera.The monitor control unit is configured to: determine whether the primarypower source removal request was received within a period of time bydetermining that the primary power source removal request was notreceived within the period of time; and perform the monitoring systemaction by providing, to the additional camera, an instruction to move tocapture a field of view of the camera.

The monitor control unit is configured to: determine whether the primarypower source removal request was received within a period of time beforereceipt of the primary power source removal notification by determiningthat the primary power source removal request was not received withinthe period of time before receipt of the primary power source removalnotification; and perform the monitoring system action by providing, tothe camera, an instruction to capture video data and transmit the videodata to the monitor control unit before entering a low power mode. Themonitor control unit is configured to: determine whether the primarypower source removal request was received within a period of time beforereceipt of the primary power source removal notification by determiningthat the primary power source removal request was not received withinthe period of time before receipt of the primary power source removalnotification; and perform the monitoring system action by providing, tothe camera, an instruction to transmit a power level of the primarypower source at a time of detecting removal of the primary power source.

The camera is configured to receive the instruction to transmit thepower level of the primary power source at the time of detecting removalof the primary power source; transmit, to the monitor control unit, dataindicating the power level of the primary power source at the time ofdetecting removal of the primary power source. The monitor control unitis configured to: receive the data indicating the power level of theprimary power source at the time of detecting removal of the primarypower source; and perform the monitoring system action based on thepower level of the primary power source at the time of detecting removalof the primary power source. The monitor control unit is configured to:determine that the power level of the primary power source at the timeof detecting removal of the primary power source is less than athreshold power level; and perform the monitoring system action bygenerating a notification to replace the primary power source based ondetermining that the power level of the primary power source at the timeof detecting removal of the primary power source is less than athreshold power level. The monitor control unit is configured to:determine that the power level of the primary power source at the timeof detecting removal of the primary power source is greater than athreshold power level; and perform the monitoring system action bygenerating an alarm based on determining that the power level of theprimary power source at the time of detecting removal of the primarypower source is greater than a threshold power level.

According to an innovative aspect of the subject matter described inthis application, a method includes the actions of detecting, by acamera of a monitoring system that is configured to monitor a property,removal of a primary power source, the camera including the removableprimary power source and a secondary power source; in response todetecting removal of the primary power source, drawing, by the camera,power from the secondary power source; determining, by camera, whether aprimary power source removal request was received within a period oftime before detecting the removal of the primary power source, theprimary power source removal request indicating that the primary powersource will be removed within the period of time; in response todetermining whether the primary power source removal notification wasreceived within the period of time before receiving the primary powersource removal request, performing, by the camera, an action.

These and other implementations can each optionally include one or moreof the following features. The actions include determining whether theprimary power source removal request was received within a period oftime before detecting the removal of the primary power source bydetermining that the primary power source removal request was receivedwithin the period of time before detecting the removal of the primarypower source; performing the action by entering, by the camera, a lowpower mode in response to determining that the primary power sourceremoval request was received within the period of time; detecting, bythe camera, replacement of the primary power source; and in response todetecting replacement of the primary power source, exiting, by thecamera, the low power mode.

The actions include determining whether the primary power source removalrequest was received within a period of time before detecting theremoval of the primary power source by determining that the primarypower source removal request was received within the period of timebefore detecting the removal of the primary power source; perform theaction by entering, by the camera, a low power mode in response todetermining that the primary power source removal request was receivedwithin the period of time; determining, by the camera, an elapsed timesince entering the low power mode; determining, by the camera, that theelapsed time since entering the low power mode does not satisfy athreshold replacement period of time; and in response to determiningthat the elapsed time since entering the low power mode does not satisfythe threshold replacement period of time, providing, for output by thecamera, a notification indicating to replace the primary power source.The actions include determining whether the primary power source removalrequest was received within a period of time by determining that theprimary power source removal request was received within the period oftime; determining, by the camera, that the monitoring system is unarmed;and performing the action by entering, by the camera, a low power modebased on determining that the monitoring system is unarmed and based ondetermining that the primary power source removal request was receivedwithin the period of time.

The actions include determining that the monitoring system is in armedaway mode; and performing the action by generating, by the camera, analarm based on determining that the monitoring system is in armed awaymode. The actions include whether the primary power source removalrequest was received within a period of time by determining that theprimary power source removal request was not received within the periodof time; and performing the action by generating, by the camera, analarm based on determining that the primary power source removal requestwas not received within the period of time. The actions includedetermining whether the primary power source removal request wasreceived within a period of time by determining that the primary powersource removal request was not received within the period of time; andperforming the action by capturing, by the camera, video data beforeentering a low power mode.

Other implementations of this aspect include corresponding systems,apparatus, and computer programs recorded on computer storage devices,each configured to perform the operations of the methods.

Particular implementations of the subject matter described in thisspecification can be implemented so as to realize one or more of thefollowing advantages. A monitoring system may be able to detecttampering with a camera. Detecting tampering will improve thereliability and security of the monitoring system.

The details of one or more embodiments of the subject matter describedin this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and thedescription below. Other features, aspects, and advantages of thesubject matter will become apparent from the description, the drawings,and the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a contextual diagram of an example system forcontinuous operation of a battery-operated camera while changing thebatteries.

FIG. 2 illustrates another contextual diagram of an example system forcontinuous operation of a battery-operated camera during a tamperingevent.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of an example process for continuous operation ofa battery-operated camera while changing the batteries.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of an example process for continuous operation ofa camera while changing the removable power source.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example monitoring system.

Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicatelike elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Techniques are described for enhancing serviceability and operationalavailability of cameras that are part of a monitoring system. In someimplementations, a secondary power source is provided inside the camerato enable replacement of a main battery of the camera while remainingconnected to the monitoring system. In some implementations, the cameraenters a low power mode when operating from the secondary power source.In the same, or other implementations, in response to loss of power fromthe main battery, the camera transmits diagnostic information to themonitoring system before entering the low power mode.

FIG. 1 illustrates a contextual diagram of an example of a monitoringsystem 100 for continuous operation of a battery-operated camera whilechanging the batteries. The monitoring system 100 includes one or moresurveillance cameras 110 installed in a property 102 (e.g., a home) of auser 120, a network 180, one or more communication links 182, and amonitoring application server 190. The user 120 may control, interactwith, and/or receive information from the monitoring system 100 througha user device 122.

For conventional battery-operated cameras, a process for changing thebattery of such cameras typically involves powering down the camera,removing the depleted battery, installing a new or recharged battery inthe camera, and then waiting for the camera to power back up andreestablish its network connection to the monitoring system to verifyproper operation of the camera after replacing the battery. This powercycling and reestablishment of connection can significantly increase thetime needed for performing battery replacements. Such inconvenience canbe mitigated by providing a secondary power source for the camera.

The camera 110 includes a main battery 112 and a secondary power source114. The main battery 112 may provide power sufficient for extendedoperation of the camera 110 in a normal operation mode. Examples of themain battery 112 include disposable batteries, rechargeable batteries,and battery packs. The main battery 112 may be designed such that it canbe easily removed by the user 120 during a battery replacementprocedure. In some implementations, the main battery 112 is arechargeable battery pack that magnetically attaches to the camera 110to allow quick and convenient replacement of the main battery 112.

The secondary power source 114 may provide power sufficient fortemporary operation of the camera 110 in an event when the main powerfrom the main battery 112 is disrupted. As such, the power capacity ofthe secondary power source 114 may be smaller than that of the mainbattery 112. Examples of the secondary power source 114 includecapacitors, supercapacitors, disposable batteries, and rechargeablebatteries. In the case where the secondary power source 114 isrechargeable (e.g., capacitor, supercapacitor, rechargeable battery),the secondary power source 114 may be recharged by the main battery 112to ensure continuous availability of secondary power in the event ofdisruption of the main power from the main battery 112. For consumerapplications where cost is an important factor, use of capacitors orsupercapacitors as the secondary power source 114 may be preferable froma cost perspective.

In some implementations, the secondary power source 114 may include morethan one power source. For example, the secondary power source 114 mayinclude both a supercapacitor and a battery. In such a configuration,for example, the supercapacitor can act as an initial source ofsecondary power, and once the supercapacitor has been drained, thebattery can continue to provide secondary power. Such configuration maybe beneficial in extending the lifetime of the secondary power source114 due to reduced cycling of the battery of the secondary power source114.

In handling the main power from the main battery 112 and the secondarypower from the secondary power source 114, the camera 110 may monitorthe main power and the secondary power to determine which power sourceto draw power from. For example, the camera 110 may monitor a voltage ofthe main battery 112, and when the voltage falls below a predeterminedvalue, e.g., 3.0 V for a typical Lithium ion battery pack, the camera110 may automatically switch to the secondary power source 114 withoutuser intervention. As another example, when the main battery 112 isremoved for main battery replacement, the voltage at a receivingterminal for the main battery may fall below the predetermined value(e.g., fall to 0 V), causing the camera 110 to switch to the secondarypower source 114. Switching from the main battery 112 to the secondarypower source 114 when the voltage is below the predetermined value mayensure that a sufficient voltage is continuously available to power thecamera 110. In some implementations, one or more capacitors may beprovided to buffer a voltage transient that may result from switchingfrom the main power to the secondary power.

The camera 110 may provide a notification when determining to switchpower sources. For example, the camera 110 may determine to provide anotification that the main battery 112 is not available when the camera110 determines to switch to the secondary power source 114. An exampleof such notification may be “Warning: Main battery power not available,running on secondary power source.” Such notification may be sent to themonitoring application server 190 which may then provide a notificationto the user device 122 of the user 120.

The camera 110 may provide a notification or a series of notificationswhen an issue with a power source is detected. For example, the camera110 may determine to provide a notification prompting a replacement ofthe main battery 112 when the camera 110 determines that there is littlepower remaining in the main battery 112. An example of such anotification may be, “The main battery is due to be changed. Estimatedremaining lifetime: 5 days.” Additional notifications may be sent, forexample, each day until either the main battery 112 is replaced orbecomes fully depleted. In some implementations, an audible alarm may begenerated by the camera 110 to remind the user 120 to replace the mainbattery 112.

In some implementations, the notifications may include additionaldetails regarding the main battery 112 and the secondary power source114. For example, the camera 110 may provide a notification, “Capacityof the main battery has fallen to below 50% of its original capacity.Please order a replacement main battery.” As another example, the camera110 may provide a notification, “Secondary power source is unable tohold sufficient reserve power. Please contact support to replacesecondary power source.”

The camera 110 may have a normal operation mode and a low power mode ofoperation. When operating in the normal operation mode, the camera 110may provide a complete range of functionalities, such as recording ofvideo and transmission of the video through the network 180 over thecommunication link 182 (e.g., wireless communication link) to themonitoring application server 190.

In contrast, when operating in the low power mode, the camera 110 mayturn off some or all hardware components and software routines that arenot essential to maintaining a minimally operational state of the camera110. Examples of essential operations include maintaining a networkconnection between the camera 110 and the monitoring system 100, andmeasuring available power through the main battery 112 and/or thesecondary power source 114. Examples of non-essential components andsoftware routines include image sensors for acquisition of video andvideo codec for processing the acquired video, which may be turned offor disabled to reduce power consumption. Additionally, one or moreprocessors of the camera 110 may be turned off and/or reduced in clockfrequency.

The camera 110 remains connected to the monitoring system 100 whenoperating in the low power mode. As such, upon restoration of the mainpower from the main battery 112, the camera 110 may exit the low powermode and be immediately restored to fully operational state. Forexample, video transmission to the monitoring system 100 may be resumedwithout requiring additional user intervention. Such immediaterestoration to fully operational state may enhance user convenience andminimize downtime of the camera 110.

While a battery-operated camera 110 is described, the camera 110 can beoperated through other power sources. For example, the main battery 112can be replaced with appropriate wired electrical connections (e.g.,building wiring conducting standard utility electricity) whilemaintaining the benefits provided by the secondary power source 114.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the user 120 of the monitoring system100 may wish to change the main battery 112 of the camera 110. Forexample, the user 120 may have received a notification through the userdevice 122 advising replacement of the main battery 112. In proceedingto change the main battery 112, the user 120 first notifies themonitoring system 100 that the user is going to change the main battery112 of the camera 110. For example, the user 120 can use a monitoringapplication that runs on the user device 122 to provide a battery changenotice, informing the monitoring system 100 of the user's intent tochange the main battery 112. When the monitoring system 100 receives thebattery change notice, the notice can be stored on the monitoringapplication server 190. Additionally and/or alternatively, the noticecan be communicated to and stored on the camera 110.

The user 120 proceeds to replace the main battery 112 by firstdisconnecting the original main battery attached to the camera 110. Whenthe main battery 112 is disconnected from the camera, the camera detectsthat the main power is lost and automatically switches to the secondarypower source 114. At this time, the camera 110 may generate and transmitan event to the monitoring application server 190 notifyingdisconnection of the main battery 112. The camera 110 may enter the lowpower mode to conserve the limited energy available in the secondarypower source 114 while remaining connected to the monitoring system 100.

In some implementations, the user may provide a battery change notice tothe monitoring system 100 but does not follow up by changing the mainbattery 112. For example, the user 120 may become distracted with someother tasks that requires the user's attention and forget to change themain battery 112. In such situations, the monitoring system 100 maydismiss the received battery change notice after a predetermined periodof time has passed (e.g., 5, 10, 15, or 30 minutes).

The monitoring application server 190 receives the disconnection eventof the main battery 114 and determines an action to perform. Forexample, the action to perform may be based on action rules of an actionrule repository 192. The action rule repository 192 may be a list ofrules that determine actions to be performed based on various variablesof the monitoring system 100. Examples of such variables include asystem state of the monitoring system 100, and whether a battery changenotice has been received. For example, when the monitoring system is inan unarmed state, the disconnection event does not result in any actionby the monitoring system 100.

When the monitoring system is in an armed—at home state, the action tobe performed by the monitoring system 100 may depend on whether thenotice has been received. If the notice has been received, then themonitoring system 100 does not perform any action in response to thedisconnection event as the battery disconnection event is expectedduring changing of the main battery 112. However, if the notice has notbeen received and the battery disconnection event is received, themonitoring system 100 generates an alarm event, as the disconnectionevent was not expected, and may be indicative of a tampering event by anintruder at the property 102.

When the monitoring system is in an armed—away state, the monitoringsystem 100 may generate an alarm event in response to the batterydisconnection event regardless of whether the notice has been received.This may be under the logic that if the user is away from the property,any action taken on the property 102 is by an unauthorized personnel(e.g., intruder). In another example, the battery change notice may takeprecedence over the armed state of the system, under the logic that ifthe user 120 has authorized the battery change by providing the notice,the user 120 expects the disconnection event to take place and thereforegenerating an alarm event is not desired.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the monitoring system is in the armed—athome state, and the user 120 has provided the battery change notice tothe monitoring system 100. Accordingly, no action is performed by themonitoring application server 190 in response to the batterydisconnection event. The user 120 proceeds to mount the replacement mainbattery to the camera 110. The camera detects that the main battery 112has been replaced and exits the low power mode, resuming normaloperation.

FIG. 2 illustrates another contextual diagrams of an example system forcontinuous operation of a battery-operated camera during a tamperingevent. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the user 120 is away from theproperty 102, and the monitoring system 100 is in the armed—away state.In absence of the user 120, an intruder 130 may attempt to disable thecamera 110 by tampering with the main battery 112 to avoid beingrecorded. However, as the intruder 130 is not an authorized user of themonitoring system 100, the intruder is unable to provide the batterychange notice to the system.

When the intruder 130 disconnects the battery, the camera 110 detectsthat the main power is lost and automatically switches to the secondarypower source 114. At this time, the camera 110 may generate and transmitan event to the monitoring application server 190 notifyingdisconnection of the main battery 112. At this time, the camera 110 maytransmit diagnostic information to the monitoring server 190. Thediagnostic information may include one or more still images or videoclips recorded by the camera 110 at or shortly after the time of batterydisconnection event. For example, the intruder 130 may not be aware ofthe presence of the secondary power source 114 and reveal his or heridentity after removing the main battery 112, which may be captured inthe transmitted diagnostic information.

The monitoring application server 190 then receives the disconnectionevent and determines the action to perform based on the action rulerepository 192. In this case, as the monitoring system 100 is in thearmed—away state and the battery change notice has not been received, analarm event is generated in response to the disconnection event. Thegenerated alarm event may then be transmitted to the user device 122,notifying the user 120 of the alarm event caused by the intruder 130 atthe property 102.

While the determination of action to be performed by the monitoringsystem 100 is performed by the application monitoring server 190 in theexamples given, the determination can be performed locally on the camera110. For example, the battery change notice and the system armed statusmay be transmitted to and stored on the camera 110, which may allow thecamera 110 to locally generate an alarm event based on the action rules.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example process 300 for continuous operation of abattery-operated camera 110. The camera 110 detects that the main powerfrom the main battery 112 is interrupted (310). The action of detectingthat the main power is interrupted may include determining that thevoltage of the main battery 112 has fallen below a first predeterminedvalue. For example, when the main battery 112 is nearing depletion, thevoltage of the main battery 112 may fall below the first predeterminedvalue. The first predetermined value, for example, may be a minimumvoltage needed to assure reliable operation of the camera 110. Asanother example, when the main battery 112 is disconnected from thecamera 110, the voltage at a receiving terminal of the camera 110 forreceiving the main battery 112 may fall below the predetermined value.Additionally, or alternatively, the action of detecting that the mainpower is interrupted may include detecting a physical presence of themain battery 112. For example, a physical contact sensor or a proximitysensor may be used to determine the physical presence of the mainbattery 112.

The camera 110 detects that power is available from the secondary powersource 114 (320). The action of detecting that power is available fromthe secondary power source 114 may include determining that the voltageof the secondary power source 114 is above a second predetermined value.The second predetermined value may be equal to, or higher than the firstpredetermined value. For example, in the case when the secondary powersource 114 fails to provide sufficient voltage for operation of thecamera 110, the camera 110 may continue to operate on the main powerfrom the main battery 112 as that may result in a longer operation ofthe camera 110 than switching to the secondary power source 114.

In some implementations, the second predetermined value may bedetermined based on the type (e.g., capacitor, supercapacitor, battery),a capacity, or combination thereof of the secondary power source 114.

The camera 110 transitions to the secondary power source 114 (330). Thetransitioning to the secondary power source 114 may include internallyswitching the power source connected to a power supply regulationcircuit of the camera 110 sufficiently fast (e.g., faster than 1 ms, 500μs 250 μs, 100 μs, 50 μs, 10 μs) such that the network connectionbetween the camera 110 and the monitoring system 100 is maintainedduring the transitioning, and/or normal operation of the camera 110 ismaintained during the transitioning.

The monitoring system 100 determines whether a battery change notice wasreceived (340). In some implementations, the determination is made bythe monitoring application server 190. In some implementations, thedetermination is made by the camera 110 based on the notificationreceived from the monitoring application server 190. In someimplementations, the determination is made by the camera 110 based onthe notification received directly from the user device 122.

Based on the determination that the battery change notice was received,the camera 110 enters the low power mode (350). The entering the lowpower mode may include turning off some or all hardware components andsoftware routines that are not essential to maintaining a minimallyoperational state of the camera 110. For example, the camera 110 maymaintain a network connection with the monitoring system 100 whileturning off or disabling the image sensors for acquisition of video andvideo codec for processing the acquired video.

The camera 110 determines that main power from the main battery 112 isrestored (360). Determining that the main power is restored may includedetermining that the voltage of the main battery 112 is at or above thefirst predetermined value.

The camera 110 exits low power mode (370). The action of exiting the lowpower mode may include entering the normal operation mode. For example,the action of entering of normal operation mode may include turning backon and enabling the hardware components and software routines turned offor disabled when entering the low power mode.

Based on the determination that the battery change notice was notreceived, the monitoring system 100 generates an alarm event (352). Thegenerating of an alarm event may be based on the action rules of theaction rule repository 192. In some implementations, the action rulerepository 192 is stored in the monitoring application server 190, andthe alarm event is generated by the server 190. In some implementations,the action rule repository 192 is stored in the camera 190, and thealarm event is generated by the camera 110.

The camera 110 transmits diagnostic information to the monitoringapplication server 190 (362). The diagnostic information may begenerated while the camera 110 is operating from the secondary powersource 114. A portion of power available from the secondary power source114 may be consumed in generation and transmission of the diagnosticinformation. The diagnostic information may include various informationthat can help determine the situation under which the camera 110 hasswitched over to the secondary power source 114. For example, thediagnostic information may include current voltage of the main battery112, one or more still images or video clips recorded by the camera 110since transitioning to the secondary power source 114, and accelerometerdata. The current voltage of the main battery 112 may provideinformation on whether the main battery 112 has been disconnected ordepleted while remaining connected to the camera 110. The one or morestill images or video clips may provide situational awareness to helpassess the situation at the property 102. For example, an unsuspectingintruder may not be aware of the presence of the secondary power source114 and reveal his or her identity after removing the main battery 112.The accelerometer data of the camera 110 may provide information onwhether physical force has been applied to the camera 110 before themain power was interrupted, which may provide additional insightregarding the nature of the event that caused the interruption.

The camera 110 enters low power mode (372). The step 372 may beidentical to step 350.

In some implementations, the camera 110 may automatically or manuallyexit the low power mode entered in step 372. For example, the user 120may wish to obtain additional surveillance images or video clips fromthe camera 110 after receiving the generated alarm event. In such acase, the user may manually command the camera 110 to exit the low powermode and acquire additional images or video clips. As another example,the camera may periodically (e.g., every 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2minutes, or 5 minutes) exit the low power mode without user interventionto acquire additional images or video clips, then return to the lowpower mode. The period may be predetermined or set by the user 120.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of an example process 400 for continuousoperation of a camera while changing the removable power source. Ingeneral, the process 400 allows a monitoring system to monitor aproperty while a replacing a power source (e.g., battery) of a camera.The process 400 will be described as being performed by a monitoringsystem or any component of a monitoring system. For example, process 400may be performed by the monitoring system 100 of FIG. 1, the monitoringsystem 100 of FIG. 2, the camera 110 of FIG. 1, the camera 110 of FIG.2, the monitoring application server 190 of FIG. 1, the monitoringapplication server 190 of FIG. 2, the monitoring system 500 of FIG. 5,the monitoring application server 560 of FIG. 5, the monitor controlunit 510 of FIG. 5, the camera 530 of FIG. 5, or any combination ofthese.

The system detects removal of a primary power source of the camera. Thecamera includes a removable primary power source and a secondary powersource (410). In some implementations, the camera is battery powered.The primary power source is a removable battery. The secondary powersource may be a capacitor or another battery. The secondary power sourcemay not be removable. The camera may be a video camera or a still imagecamera and may include a microphone. The camera may be a standalonecamera and/or store images or videos locally or in the cloud. The cameramay be part of a monitoring system that is configured to monitor aproperty. The camera may capture images or video within the camera'sfield of view. The camera may be configured to pan or zoom.

In some implementations, the camera is capable of capturing images orvideo at different resolutions, with lower resolutions consuming lesspower. In some implementations, the camera is capable of capturing videoat different frame rates, with lower frame rates consuming less power.In some implementations, the camera stores a timestamp at the time theprimary power source is removed. In some implementations, the cameratransmits the timestamp to the system and indicates that the primarypower source has been removed.

The system, in response to detecting removal of the primary powersource, draws, through the camera, power from the secondary power source(420). For example, a person removes the battery and the camera switchesto the capacitor or the secondary battery.

The system determines whether a primary power source removal request wasreceived within a period of time before detecting the removal of theprimary power source, the primary power source removal requestindicating that the primary power source will be removed within theperiod of time (430). The primary power source removal request may beprovided by a user before the user removes the primary power source. Theuser may provide the primary power source removal request through thesystem via an application running on a computing device or via a panelof the system. In some implementations, the primary power source may beremoved from an intruder or other unauthorized user who is attempting todisable the camera. In this instance, it is unlikely that the intruderis able to transmit a primary power source removal request to thesystem. In some implementations, the primary power source may bedepleted which may cause the camera to switch to the secondary powersource. In some implementations, the camera may include a sensor thatdetects whether the primary power source is attached to the camera evenif the primary power source is depleted.

The system, in response to determining whether the primary power sourceremoval notification was received within the period of time beforereceiving the primary power source removal request, performs amonitoring system action (440). In some implementations, the monitoringsystem action is generating an alarm, notifying a resident of theproperty that the primary power source has been removed, and/oradjusting other cameras or sensors of the system to compensate for thecamera with the missing primary power source. The monitoring systemaction or actions may depend on the status of the system (e.g., unarmed,armed stay, armed away, etc.), the elapsed time since the primary powersource was removed, whether the system received a primary power sourceremoval request, the power level of the primary power source at the timeof the removal, and/or any other similar criteria.

In some implementations, the system receives a primary power sourceremoval request. The primary power source is removed from the camera.The camera transmits a notification to the system indicating that theprimary power source was removed from the camera. The system instructsthe camera to enter a low power mode. The camera enters the low powermode. Once a new and/or charged primary power source is replaces, thecamera notifies the system that the primary power source has beenreplaces. The system then instructs the camera to exit the low powermode. In some implementations, the low power mode includes maintaining anetwork connection with the system, reducing a frame rate for capturingvideo data, reducing a resolution for capturing the video data or imagedata, storing the video data or the image data locally, and/or any othersimilar action. In some implementations, the system confirms that theprimary power source was replaced quickly enough. For example, theprimary power source may be removed at time equals zero and replaced attime equals twenty seconds. Because twenty is less than a threshold ofthirty, the system may take no further action other than requesting thatthe camera to exit the low power mode.

In some implementations, the system receives a primary power sourceremoval request. The primary power source is removed from the camera.The camera transmits a notification to the system indicating that theprimary power source was removed from the camera. The system instructsthe camera to enter a low power mode. The camera enters the low powermode. The system may wait for an indication that the battery has beenreplaced. If the system waits longer than a threshold replacement periodof time, the system may generate and transmit a notification to a userindicating to replace the primary power source of the camera. Forexample, the primary power source may be removed at time equals zero. Attime equals thirty seconds, the system has not received an indication ofthe primary power source being replaced. The system generates andtransmits a notification to a resident of the property indicating toreplace the primary power source of the camera.

In some implementations, the arming status of the system may be a factorin what action the system takes in response to the removal of theprimary power source of the camera. For example, the system may receivea primary power source removal request and be unarmed. The system mayinstruct the camera to enter low power mode upon receiving theindication that the primary power source has been removed. As anotherexample, the system may be armed away and receive a primary power sourceremoval request. In this instance, the system may instruct the camera toenter low power mode upon receiving the indication that the primarypower source has been removed or instruct the camera to capture andtransmit or store additional video (e.g., ten seconds) before enteringlow power mode. The system may also instruct the camera to store ortransmit any buffed video before the primary power source was removed.As another example, the system may be armed stay. In this instance, evenif the system receives a primary power source removal request, thesystem may generate an alarm in response to receiving an indication thatthe primary power source was removed. In some implementations, a usermay request to remove the primary power source from a camera while thesystem is armed stay or away. The system may instruct the user to unarmthe system before removing the primary power source from the camera.

In some implementations, the system may receive a primary power sourceremoval request three minutes before removal of the battery from thecamera. In this instance, three minutes may be greater than the timelimit of two minutes that the user has before removing the primary powersource after indicating the intent to remove the primary power source.In other words, the primary power source removal request may expireafter a period of time (e.g., two minutes). If the primary power sourceremoval request has expired and the system has not received a primarypower source removal request within the period of time, the system maygenerate an alarm in response to the camera detecting removal of theprimary power source.

In some implementations, the system may receive an indication that theprimary power source was removed from the camera. The system may havenot received a primary power source removal request within the period oftime. In response, the system may instruct an additional camera thatremains powered to pan and/or zoom to cover the field of view of thecamera with the removed primary power source. The system may providethis instruction to the additional camera even if the system receives aprimary power source removal request. The system may provide similarinstructions to other sensors to ensure coverage for the loss of thecamera while the primary power source is removed.

In some implementations, the system may receive an indication that theprimary power source was removed from the camera. The system may havenot received a primary power source removal request within the period oftime. In response, the system may instruct the camera to capture a fewseconds of video (e.g., ten seconds) before entering low power mode.Additionally or alternatively, the system may instruct the camera tosave and/or transmit any image or video data stored in the buffer beforethe removal of the primary power source.

In some implementations, the camera may transmit the power level of theprimary power source periodically or with the indication that theprimary power source was removed. The system may use this information todetermine the appropriate monitoring system action. In some instances,the camera may detect the removal of the primary power source when theprimary power source is drained. This may be the case if the camera doesnot include an additional way to detect whether the primary power sourceis connected, such as through a mechanical sensor, proximity sensor,light sensor, or any other similar type of sensor.

In some implementations, the system may receive an indication that theprimary power source was removed from the camera and data indicatingthat the primary power source is below a threshold. In this instance,the system may guess that the primary power source is dead and send anotification to replace the primary power source. For example, thecamera may indicate that the primary power source is at three percent,which is below the threshold of five percent. In this case, the primarypower source may be insufficient to power the camera and the system maysend a notification to replace the primary power source.

In some implementations, the system may receive an indication that theprimary power source was removed from the camera and data indicatingthat the primary power source is above a threshold. In this instance,the system may guess that the primary power source has been removedand/or tampered with and generate an alarm. For example, the camera mayindicate that the primary power source is at fifty percent, which isabove the threshold of five percent. In this case, the primary powersource may generate an alarm or any other similar action.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a system 500 configured to monitor aproperty. The system 500 includes a network 505, a monitoring systemcontrol unit 510, one or more user devices 540, and a monitoringapplication server 560. The network 505 facilitates communicationsbetween the monitoring system control unit 510, the one or more userdevices 540, and the monitoring application server 560. The network 505is configured to enable exchange of electronic communications betweendevices connected to the network 505. For example, the network 505 maybe configured to enable exchange of electronic communications betweenthe monitoring system control unit 510, the one or more user devices540, and the monitoring application server 560. The network 505 mayinclude, for example, one or more of the Internet, Wide Area Networks(WANs), Local Area Networks (LANs), analog or digital wired and wirelesstelephone networks (e.g., a public switched telephone network (PSTN),Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), a cellular network, andDigital Subscriber Line (DSL)), radio, television, cable, satellite, orany other delivery or tunneling mechanism for carrying data. Network 505may include multiple networks or subnetworks, each of which may include,for example, a wired or wireless data pathway. The network 505 mayinclude a circuit-switched network, a packet-switched data network, orany other network able to carry electronic communications (e.g., data orvoice communications). For example, the network 505 may include networksbased on the Internet protocol (IP), asynchronous transfer mode (ATM),the PSTN, packet-switched networks based on IP, X.25, or Frame Relay, orother comparable technologies and may support voice using, for example,VoIP, or other comparable protocols used for voice communications. Thenetwork 505 may include one or more networks that include wireless datachannels and wireless voice channels. The network 505 may be a wirelessnetwork, a broadband network, or a combination of networks including awireless network and a broadband network.

The monitoring system control unit 510 includes a controller 512 and anetwork module 514. The controller 512 is configured to control amonitoring system (e.g., a home alarm or security system) that includesthe monitor control unit 510. In some examples, the controller 512 mayinclude a processor or other control circuitry configured to executeinstructions of a program that controls operation of an alarm system. Inthese examples, the controller 512 may be configured to receive inputfrom indoor door knobs, sensors, detectors, or other devices included inthe alarm system and control operations of devices included in the alarmsystem or other household devices (e.g., a thermostat, an appliance,lights, etc.). For example, the controller 512 may be configured tocontrol operation of the network module 514 included in the monitoringsystem control unit 510.

The network module 514 is a communication device configured to exchangecommunications over the network 505. The network module 514 may be awireless communication module configured to exchange wirelesscommunications over the network 505. For example, the network module 514may be a wireless communication device configured to exchangecommunications over a wireless data channel and a wireless voicechannel. In this example, the network module 514 may transmit alarm dataover a wireless data channel and establish a two-way voice communicationsession over a wireless voice channel. The wireless communication devicemay include one or more of a GSM module, a radio modem, cellulartransmission module, or any type of module configured to exchangecommunications in one of the following formats: LTE, GSM or GPRS, CDMA,EDGE or EGPRS, EV-DO or EVDO, UMTS, or IP.

The network module 514 also may be a wired communication moduleconfigured to exchange communications over the network 505 using a wiredconnection. For instance, the network module 514 may be a modem, anetwork interface card, or another type of network interface device. Thenetwork module 514 may be an Ethernet network card configured to enablethe monitoring control unit 510 to communicate over a local area networkand/or the Internet. The network module 514 also may be a voicebandmodem configured to enable the alarm panel to communicate over thetelephone lines of Plain Old Telephone Systems (POTS).

The monitoring system may include multiple sensors 520. The sensors 520may include a contact sensor, a motion sensor, a glass break sensor, orany other type of sensor included in an alarm system or security system.The sensors 520 also may include an environmental sensor, such as atemperature sensor, a water sensor, a rain sensor, a wind sensor, alight sensor, a smoke detector, a carbon monoxide detector, an airquality sensor, etc. The sensors 520 further may include a healthmonitoring sensor, such as a prescription bottle sensor that monitorstaking of prescriptions, a blood pressure sensor, a blood sugar sensor,a bed mat configured to sense presence of liquid (e.g., bodily fluids)on the bed mat, etc. In some examples, the sensors 520 may include aradio-frequency identification (RFID) sensor that identifies aparticular article that includes a pre-assigned RFID tag.

The monitoring system may include one or more cameras 530. The one ormore cameras 530 may be video/photographic cameras or other type ofoptical sensing device configured to capture images. For instance, thecameras may be configured to capture images of an area within a buildingmonitored by the monitor control unit 510. The cameras may be configuredto capture single, static images of the area and also video images ofthe area in which multiple images of the area are captured at arelatively high frequency (e.g., thirty images per second). The camerasmay be controlled based on commands received from the monitor controlunit 510.

The cameras may be triggered by several different types of techniques.For instance, a Passive Infra Red (PIR) motion sensor may be built intothe cameras and used to trigger the one or more cameras 530 to captureone or more images when motion is detected. The one or more cameras 530also may include a microwave motion sensor built into the camera andused to trigger the camera to capture one or more images when motion isdetected. Each of the one or more cameras 530 may have a “normally open”or “normally closed” digital input that can trigger capture of one ormore images when external sensors (e.g., the sensors 520, PIR,door/window, etc.) detect motion or other events. In someimplementations, at least one camera 530 receives a command to capturean image when external devices detect motion or another potential alarmevent. The camera may receive the command from the controller 512 ordirectly from one of the sensors 520.

In some examples, the one or more cameras 530 triggers integrated orexternal illuminators (e.g., Infra Red, Z-wave controlled “white”lights, lights controlled by the module 514, etc.) to improve imagequality when the scene is dark. An integrated or separate light sensormay be used to determine if illumination is desired and may result inincreased image quality.

The sensors 520 and the cameras 530 communicate with the controller 512over communication links 524 and 526. The communication links 524 and526 may be a wired or wireless data pathway configured to transmitsignals from the sensors 520 and the cameras 530 to the controller 512.The communication links 524 and 526 may include a local network, such as802.11 “Wi-Fi” wireless Ethernet (e.g., using low-power Wi-Fi chipsets),Z-Wave, Zigbee, Bluetooth, “HomePlug” or other Powerline networks thatoperate over AC wiring, and a Category 5 (CATS) or Category 6 (CAT6)wired Ethernet network.

The monitoring application server 560 is an electronic device configuredto provide monitoring services by exchanging electronic communicationswith the monitor control unit 510, and the one or more user devices 540,over the network 505. For example, the monitoring application server 560may be configured to monitor events (e.g., alarm events) generated bythe monitor control unit 510. In this example, the monitoringapplication server 560 may exchange electronic communications with thenetwork module 514 included in the monitoring system control unit 510 toreceive information regarding events (e.g., alarm events) detected bythe monitoring system control unit 510. The monitoring applicationserver 560 also may receive information regarding events (e.g., alarmevents) from the one or more user devices 540. The monitoringapplication server 560 may store data, e.g., still images, videostreams, and events generated by the cameras 530.

The one or more user devices 540 are devices that host and display userinterfaces. The user device 540 may be a cellular phone or anon-cellular locally networked device with a display. The user device540 may include a cell phone, a smart phone, a tablet PC, a personaldigital assistant (“PDA”), or any other portable device configured tocommunicate over a network and display information. For example,implementations may also include Blackberry-type devices (e.g., asprovided by Research in Motion), electronic organizers, iPhone-typedevices (e.g., as provided by Apple), iPod devices (e.g., as provided byApple) or other portable music players, other communication devices, andhandheld or portable electronic devices for gaming, communications,and/or data organization. The user device 540 may perform functionsunrelated to the monitoring system, such as placing personal telephonecalls, playing music, playing video, displaying pictures, browsing theInternet, maintaining an electronic calendar, etc.

The user device 540 includes a monitoring application 542. Themonitoring application 542 refers to a software/firmware program runningon the corresponding mobile device that enables the user interface andfeatures described throughout. The user device 540 may load or installthe monitoring application 542 based on data received over a network ordata received from local media. The monitoring application 542 runs onmobile devices platforms, such as iPhone, iPod touch, Blackberry, GoogleAndroid, Windows Mobile, etc. The monitoring application 542 enables theuser device 540 to receive and process image and sensor data from themonitoring system.

The central alarm station server 570 is an electronic device configuredto provide alarm monitoring service by exchanging communications withthe monitor control unit 510, the one or more user devices 540, and themonitoring application server 560 over the network 505. For example, thecentral alarm station server 570 may be configured to monitor alarmevents generated by the monitoring system control unit 510. In thisexample, the central alarm station server 570 may exchangecommunications with the network module 514 included in the monitorcontrol unit 510 to receive information regarding alarm events detectedby the monitor control unit 510. The central alarm station server 570also may receive information regarding alarm events from the one or moreuser devices 540.

In some implementations, the one or more user devices 540 communicatewith and receive monitoring system data from the monitor control unit510 using the communication link 538. For instance, the one or more userdevices 540 may communicate with the monitor control unit 510 usingvarious local wireless protocols such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Z-Wave,Zigbee, “HomePlug,” or other Powerline networks that operate over ACwiring, or Power over Ethernet (POE), or wired protocols such asEthernet and USB, to connect the one or more user devices 540 to localsecurity and automation equipment. The one or more user devices 540 mayconnect locally to the monitoring system and its sensors and otherdevices. The local connection may improve the speed of status andcontrol communications because communicating through the network 505with a remote server (e.g., the monitoring application server 560) maybe significantly slower.

Although the one or more user devices 540 are shown as communicatingwith the monitor control unit 510, the one or more user devices 540 maycommunicate directly with the sensors and other devices controlled bythe monitor control unit 510. In some implementations, the one or moreuser devices 540 replace the monitoring system control unit 510 andperform the functions of the monitoring system control unit 510 forlocal monitoring and long range/offsite communication. Otherarrangements and distribution of processing is possible and contemplatedwithin the present disclosure.

The described systems, methods, and techniques may be implemented indigital electronic circuitry, computer hardware, firmware, software, orin combinations of these elements. Apparatus implementing thesetechniques may include appropriate input and output devices, a computerprocessor, and a computer program product tangibly embodied in amachine-readable storage device for execution by a programmableprocessor. A process implementing these techniques may be performed by aprogrammable processor executing a program of instructions to performdesired functions by operating on input data and generating appropriateoutput. The techniques may be implemented in one or more computerprograms that are executable on a programmable system including at leastone programmable processor coupled to receive data and instructionsfrom, and to transmit data and instructions to, a data storage system,at least one input device, and at least one output device. Each computerprogram may be implemented in a high-level procedural or object-orientedprogramming language, or in assembly or machine language if desired; andin any case, the language may be a compiled or interpreted language.Suitable processors include, by way of example, both general and specialpurpose microprocessors. Generally, a processor will receiveinstructions and data from a read-only memory and/or a random accessmemory. Storage devices suitable for tangibly embodying computer programinstructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory,including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, such asErasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), Electrically ErasableProgrammable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), and flash memory devices;magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks;magneto-optical disks; and Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM). Anyof the foregoing may be supplemented by, or incorporated in,specially-designed ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits).

It will be understood that various modifications may be made. Forexample, other useful implementations could be achieved if steps of thedisclosed techniques were performed in a different order and/or ifcomponents in the disclosed systems were combined in a different mannerand/or replaced or supplemented by other components. Accordingly, otherimplementations are within the scope of the disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A monitoring system that is configured to monitora property, the monitoring system comprising: a camera that includes aremovable primary power source and a secondary power source and that isconfigured to: detect removal of the primary power source; and inresponse to detecting removal of the primary power source: draw powerfrom the secondary power source; and generate a primary power sourceremoval notification indicating that the primary power source has beenremoved from the camera; and a monitor control unit that is configuredto: receive the primary power source removal notification; determinewhether a primary power source removal request was received within aperiod of time before receipt of the primary power source removalnotification, the primary power source removal request indicating thatthe primary power source will be removed within the period of time; andin response to determining whether the primary power source removalnotification was received within the period of time before receiving theprimary power source removal request, perform a monitoring systemaction.
 2. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein: the monitorcontrol unit is configured to: determine whether the primary powersource removal request was received within a period of time beforereceipt of the primary power source removal notification by determiningthat the primary power source removal request was received within theperiod of time before receipt of the primary power source removalnotification; and perform the monitoring system action by providing, tothe camera, an instruction to enter a low power mode in response todetermining that the primary power source removal request was receivedwithin the period of time before receipt of the primary power sourceremoval notification, the camera is configured to: receive theinstruction to enter the low power mode; in response to receiving theinstruction to enter the low power mode, enter the low power mode;detect replacement of the primary power source; and in response todetecting replacement of the primary power source, generate a primarypower source replacement notification indicating that the primary powersource of the camera has been replaced, and the monitor control unit isconfigured to: receive the primary power source replacementnotification; and in response to receiving the primary power sourcereplacement notification, provide, to the camera, an instruction to exitthe low power mode.
 3. The monitoring system of claim 2, wherein thecamera is configured to enter the low power mode by: maintaining anetwork connection with the monitor control unit, reducing a frame ratefor capturing video data, reducing a resolution for capturing the videodata or image data, and storing the video data or the image datalocally.
 4. The monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the monitorcontrol unit is configured to: determine an elapsed time betweenreceiving the primary power source removal notification and receivingthe primary power source replacement notification; determine whether theelapsed time satisfies a threshold replacement period of time; andprovide, to the camera, the instruction to exit the low power mode basedon determining that the elapsed time satisfies the threshold replacementperiod of time.
 5. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein: themonitor control unit is configured to: determine whether the primarypower source removal request was received within a period of time beforereceipt of the primary power source removal notification by determiningthat the primary power source removal request was received within theperiod of time before receipt of the primary power source removalnotification; and perform the monitoring system action by providing, tothe camera, an instruction to enter a low power mode in response todetermining that the primary power source removal request was receivedwithin the period of time before receipt of the primary power sourceremoval notification, the camera is configured to: receive theinstruction to enter the low power mode; and in response to receivingthe instruction to enter the low power mode, enter the low power mode,and the monitor control unit is configured to: determine an elapsed timesince providing the instruction to enter the low power mode; determinethat the elapsed time since providing the instruction to enter the lowpower mode does not satisfy a threshold replacement period of time; andin response to determining that the elapsed time since providing theinstruction to enter the low power mode does not satisfy the thresholdreplacement period of time, provide, for output, a notificationindicating to replace the primary power source.
 6. The monitoring systemof claim 1, wherein: the monitor control unit is configured to:determine whether the primary power source removal request was receivedwithin a period of time before receipt of the primary power sourceremoval notification by determining that the primary power sourceremoval request was received within the period of time before receipt ofthe primary power source removal notification; determine that themonitoring system is unarmed; and perform the monitoring system actionby providing, to the camera, an instruction to enter a low power modebased on determining that the monitoring system is unarmed and based ondetermining that the primary power source removal request was receivedwithin the period of time.
 7. The monitoring system of claim 1, whereinthe monitor control unit is configured to: determine that the monitoringsystem is in armed away mode; and perform the monitoring system actionby generating an alarm based on determining that the monitoring systemis in armed away mode.
 8. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein themonitor control unit is configured to: determine whether the primarypower source removal request was received within a period of time bydetermining that the primary power source removal request was notreceived within the period of time; and perform the monitoring systemaction by generating an alarm based on determining that the primarypower source removal request was not received within the period of time.9. The monitoring system of claim 1, comprising: an additional camera,wherein the monitor control unit is configured to: determine whether theprimary power source removal request was received within a period oftime by determining that the primary power source removal request wasnot received within the period of time; and perform the monitoringsystem action by providing, to the additional camera, an instruction tomove to capture a field of view of the camera.
 10. The monitoring systemof claim 1, wherein the monitor control unit is configured to: determinewhether the primary power source removal request was received within aperiod of time before receipt of the primary power source removalnotification by determining that the primary power source removalrequest was not received within the period of time before receipt of theprimary power source removal notification; and perform the monitoringsystem action by providing, to the camera, an instruction to capturevideo data and transmit the video data to the monitor control unitbefore entering a low power mode.
 11. The monitoring system of claim 1,wherein: the monitor control unit is configured to: determine whetherthe primary power source removal request was received within a period oftime before receipt of the primary power source removal notification bydetermining that the primary power source removal request was notreceived within the period of time before receipt of the primary powersource removal notification; and perform the monitoring system action byproviding, to the camera, an instruction to transmit a power level ofthe primary power source at a time of detecting removal of the primarypower source, the camera is configured to: receive the instruction totransmit the power level of the primary power source at the time ofdetecting removal of the primary power source; and transmit, to themonitor control unit, data indicating the power level of the primarypower source at the time of detecting removal of the primary powersource, and the monitor control unit is configured to: receive the dataindicating the power level of the primary power source at the time ofdetecting removal of the primary power source; and perform themonitoring system action based on the power level of the primary powersource at the time of detecting removal of the primary power source. 12.The monitoring system of claim 11, wherein the monitor control unit isconfigured to: determine that the power level of the primary powersource at the time of detecting removal of the primary power source isless than a threshold power level; and perform the monitoring systemaction by generating a notification to replace the primary power sourcebased on determining that the power level of the primary power source atthe time of detecting removal of the primary power source is less than athreshold power level.
 13. The monitoring system of claim 11, whereinthe monitor control unit is configured to: determine that the powerlevel of the primary power source at the time of detecting removal ofthe primary power source is greater than a threshold power level; andperform the monitoring system action by generating an alarm based ondetermining that the power level of the primary power source at the timeof detecting removal of the primary power source is greater than athreshold power level.
 14. A computer-implemented method comprising:detecting, by a camera of a monitoring system that is configured tomonitor a property, removal of a primary power source, the cameraincluding the removable primary power source and a secondary powersource; in response to detecting removal of the primary power source,drawing, by the camera, power from the secondary power source;determining, by camera, whether a primary power source removal requestwas received within a period of time before detecting the removal of theprimary power source, the primary power source removal requestindicating that the primary power source will be removed within theperiod of time; in response to determining whether the primary powersource removal notification was received within the period of timebefore receiving the primary power source removal request, performing,by the camera, an action.
 15. The method of claim 14, comprising:determining whether the primary power source removal request wasreceived within a period of time before detecting the removal of theprimary power source by determining that the primary power sourceremoval request was received within the period of time before detectingthe removal of the primary power source; performing the action byentering, by the camera, a low power mode in response to determiningthat the primary power source removal request was received within theperiod of time; detecting, by the camera, replacement of the primarypower source; and in response to detecting replacement of the primarypower source, exiting, by the camera, the low power mode.
 16. The methodof claim 14, comprising: determining whether the primary power sourceremoval request was received within a period of time before detectingthe removal of the primary power source by determining that the primarypower source removal request was received within the period of timebefore detecting the removal of the primary power source; perform theaction by entering, by the camera, a low power mode in response todetermining that the primary power source removal request was receivedwithin the period of time; determining, by the camera, an elapsed timesince entering the low power mode; determining, by the camera, that theelapsed time since entering the low power mode does not satisfy athreshold replacement period of time; and in response to determiningthat the elapsed time since entering the low power mode does not satisfythe threshold replacement period of time, providing, for output by thecamera, a notification indicating to replace the primary power source.17. The method of claim 14, comprising: determining whether the primarypower source removal request was received within a period of time bydetermining that the primary power source removal request was receivedwithin the period of time; determining, by the camera, that themonitoring system is unarmed; and performing the action by entering, bythe camera, a low power mode based on determining that the monitoringsystem is unarmed and based on determining that the primary power sourceremoval request was received within the period of time.
 18. The methodof claim 14, comprising: determining that the monitoring system is inarmed away mode; and performing the action by generating, by the camera,an alarm based on determining that the monitoring system is in armedaway mode.
 19. The method of claim 14, comprising: determining whetherthe primary power source removal request was received within a period oftime by determining that the primary power source removal request wasnot received within the period of time; and performing the action bygenerating, by the camera, an alarm based on determining that theprimary power source removal request was not received within the periodof time.
 20. The method of claim 14, comprising: determining whether theprimary power source removal request was received within a period oftime by determining that the primary power source removal request wasnot received within the period of time; and performing the action bycapturing, by the camera, video data before entering a low power mode.